CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Charlottesville schools sent a message out to families today (Wednesday) as the board prepares a vote on whether to add specially-trained “youth resource officers” from the police department into schools. The school system removed school resource officers the summer of 2020, and a system release says “this possible partnership with police would focus on diversion from the criminal justice system and would borrow elements from the world of social work to address student and family needs.”

The board is preparing a May 30 meeting vote with a police and school staff outreach event today at 4  at Greenstone on 5th, and next Wednesday at Ridge/South 1st Street at 4:30. Chief Kochis and City Schools Superintendent Royal Gurley presented a report generated by a working group who found in a February survey 60-percent of respondents “strongly” or “very strongly” supported exploring the possibility of having these specially trained officers in our schools.

Click here for all the information in the CCS release.